Urgent attempts must be made to bind together communities left dangerously divided by large scale immigration , a report urges.

Dame Louise Casey warns today that in some towns and cities Muslims lead such separate lives they believe the UK is an Islamic country.

Her hard-hitting study says some areas have found the pace of change “too much” to cope with.

Dame Louise says she calls for more English classes, measures to counter segregation in schools and better support for women from ethnic and minority backgrounds.

The report, ordered by the Government, also says all holders of public office should sign a oath vowing to uphold British values of fairness and tolerance.

It says there are still “large social and economic gaps” between ethnic groups with some communities becoming more divided as result.

Dame Louise says there are “persistent gender inequalities” that see women less likely to speak good English, find work and suffered from “violence and criminal acts of abuse, often enacted in the name of cultural or religious values.”

Her report says there has not been “near enough emphasis” on integration in communities to match “the pace and scale of the change in our population in recent years.”

It calls for more after school activities so children from different backgrounds mix more and additional funding for English language classes.

Bradford is named in report (Image: Getty)

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“We expect the highest standards in all civic leaders in selflessness and integrity, so too we should expect all in public office to uphold the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.

"The Government should work with the Committee for Standards in Public life to ensure these values are enshrined in the principles of public life, including a new oath for holders of public office,” the report says.

Dame Louise said: “Social integration is about closing the gaps that exist between people and communities.

“This report has found those gaps exist in terms of where people live but also in terms of the lives they lead and the opportunities they have to succeed. So it is about how we get on in life, as well as how we get along with each other.

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“To help bind Britain together and tackle some of the division in our society we need more opportunities for those from disadvantaged communities, particularly women, and more mixing between people from different backgrounds.

“We need more effort to be put into integration policies to help communities cope with the pace and scale of immigration and population change in recent years.

"But we also need more of a spirit of unity, compassion and kindness that brings people together under our common British values of tolerance, democracy, equality and respect.”

Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid said: “This Government is building a democracy for everyone and our country has long been home to lots of different cultures and communities, but all of us have to be part of one society – British society.

“So while it’s right that we celebrate the positive contribution that diverse groups make to British life, we also need to continue making sure that nobody is excluded from it or left behind.

“To do that, we need to take a serious look at the facts and must not shy away from the challenges we face. Dame Louise’s report is a valuable contribution, and I will be studying her findings closely.”